title: Parental participation in religious services and parent and child well-being: findings from the National Survey of America's Families.
abstract: Using data from the 1999 and 2002 National Survey of America's Families, a large-scale nationally representative sample, this study finds that parental religious attendance is positively associated with parent self-rated health, parent mental well-being, positive parenting attitudes, child health, and child school engagement. Although the strength of these associations varies to some extent according to socio-demographic factors, the interactive patterns are not consistently predictable. Moreover, parental health and well-being and positive attitudes toward parenting appear to be important pathways linking parental religious attendance to child well-being. These findings suggest that opportunities for participation in local religious services offered by faith-based organizations may be fruitful avenues through which the government and society can help American families enhance parent and child well-being.
authors.affiliation: Department of Sociology, University of Utah, 380 S 1530 E RM 301, Salt Lake, UT, USA, ming.wen@soc.utah.edu.
authors.forename: Ming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006306:Health Surveys / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D012067:Religion; D014481:United States